Vehicles, such as motor vehicles, typically contain foot-actuated devices or pedals for controlling various functions of the vehicle. These functions are known to include: acceleration, controlled by an accelerator pedal; braking, controlled by a brake pedal; and shifting, controlled by a clutch pedal. In addition, the vehicle may include a non-functional pedal that serves as a foot rest for the driver. These pedals are positioned in the vehicle so that they are accessible by the driver. However, drivers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and a pedal positioned to accommodate a large driver with a large foot will generally be unreachable by a small driver with a small foot. In the past, the pedals were fixedly positioned so that the majority of drivers were accommodated, from a functional and ergonomic perspective. The functionality of the pedal relates to the ability of the driver to reach and actuate the pedal. The ergonomics of the pedal relates to factors such as the driver's comfort while actuating the pedal, as measured by foot angle.
More recently, adjustable pedals have been used in vehicles to accommodate a greater number of drivers. The driver can modify the position of the pedals either closer to the driver, or away from the driver. However, it is essential that the dimensional relationships between the pedals are maintained during adjustment, such as, the height relationship between each of the pedals. An example of such an adjustable pedal is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,986 to KSR International, Inc. entitled “Adjustable Vehicle Control Pedals,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This type of adjustable pedal works well, and includes an adjustment mechanism comprising a motor, a drive mechanism operatively connected to the motor and a screw mechanism operatively connected to the pedal. The adjustable pedal may be a single pedal, or multiple pedals with common pedal adjustment components. In the past, a separate screw mechanism was operatively connected to each pedal, to adjust the position of each pedal. However, due to the additive effect of tolerances in the adjustable pedal assembly, there could be a slight variation in the dimensional relationship between the pedals at an extreme adjustment position.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an ergonomically beneficial adjustable pedal assembly that is floor mounted and utilizes an integral adjustment mechanism to maintain the dimensional relationship between each of the pedals at every adjustment point.